Are you ready to make a significant impact in the world of pharmaceuticals? We have a great opportunity for an Associate Principal Packaging Engineer/Packaging Technologist within our Pharmaceutical Technology and Development (PT&D) department.
This role is pivotal in supporting our entire PT&D product and packaging portfolio, transforming groundbreaking science into medicines that improve lives.
PT&D, within AstraZeneca Operations, spans the entire value chain, providing essential ingredients, formulations, and devices for new medicines, from early toxicology studies to clinical trials and scaling up drug production.
The role
As an Associate Principal Packaging Engineer, you will lead packaging development across our diverse product portfolio, with a focus on Oral Solid Dose packaging. Your expertise will be crucial in areas such as pharmaceutics, analytical sciences, validation science knowledge management, product robustness, analytics, process engineering, and technology enablement.
Collaborating closely with our packing partners in commercial operations, you will drive sustainability, design methodology, and standardization. You will also play a key role in delivering our packaging strategy in a dynamic, multi-skilled environment.
Key responsibilities include:
Leading packaging support to our clinical and development product portfolio, applying specialist knowledge and expertise to achieve project targets in a timely fashion and to agreed quality standards
Leading multi-functional packaging projects across AstraZeneca and partner organisations and being the point of contact to technically assess proposed pack changes and influence decision making.
Ensuring that work is performed in accordance with appropriate safety (SHE), quality and compliance standards, e.g. GMP, and having the ability to understand and interpret packaging regulations.
Generating and reviewing regulatory submission documents, project plans, protocols and technical reports ensuring that the project objectives are met
Use your technical expertise to support our packaging strategy in materials sourcing, asset transfers, capacity expansion, and manage the packaging product lifecycle with lean and six sigma methodologies.
Provide leadership in the implementation of digital tools into the packaging development process
Essential Skills/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in engineering, (Packaging or Mechanical Engineering preferred) or closely related field
Able to demonstrate understanding of the principles and concepts in relation to pharmaceutical packaging
Is a recognised leader with direct experience and project management in an array of packaging aspects in one or more of the following: materials and polymer science, design methodology, sustainability, pharmaceutical packaging regulations and testing requirements, qualification and validation of new materials, product technical transfer and patient focussed packaging.
Has a working understanding and experience of one or more of the following: AutoCAD, SolidWorks, computer aided engineering (FEA, Computational / conversational fluid dynamics), product data management, rapid prototyping.
Demonstrated ability to lead multi-functional teams across a global platform working with internal and external partners including contract manufacturers, vendors and academia while being able to hold a large degree of independence representing own department or area of expertise
Experience of working with appropriate Safety, Health & Environment (SHE), quality and compliance standards, e.g. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
A knowledge of lean and/or six sigma methodologies
When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility.
At AstraZeneca, you'll find yourself part of a team where everyone feels personally connected to the impact we make. From our science labs to large-scale manufacturing, we are committed to delivering high-quality medicines that change lives. Our work is inspiring and rewarding as we influence every part of the product lifecycle to ultimately improve lives—from patients and their families to society as a whole.
Ready to make a difference? Apply with your CV and cover letter no later than September 1st, 2025 and join us on this exciting journey!